Hard choosing the right "older" CD player

[janlafata]

I'm putting together a small audio system in my bedroom and I want it to be somewhat vintage. So far I have a Yamaha RXV-493 reciever that's a real workhorse and some decent Cerwen Vega speakers. I'll add a no frills cassette player later on, but right now I'm concerned that if I buy a more vintage single CD player off eBay, that it will play at least CDR's and CDRW's.

I'd like to get either a Denon or an Onkyo and have found some decent looking ones that I can buy fairly cheaply. The Denon I found is here: Denon DCD 1100 Single CD Player w Remote | eBay

However the seller did not leave many details about the product and I can't find much information on it on the internet. Another possibility is a nice-looking Onkyo:
Nice Onkyo DX 1400 Stereo CD Player Single Compact Disc 18 Bit Made in Japan | eBay

At least on this page the seller claims it will play CDR's and CDRW's, however I cannot confirm that anywhere on the internet, and I'd hate to buy it and find out it will only play regular CD's.

I also worry about the age of some of these units, which can average 20-25 years old.
So my big question is,what year did company's start making CD players that were able to play regular CD's plus CDR's and CDRWs?

My other option...and it comes down to finances, is to just take the plunge and buy a new or slightly used modern deck. For example I found a nice manufacture refurbished Teac CD-P1260 for $87

Another option I can go with is a slightly used Onkyo C-7030 for $133, which is a lot more than I really want to pay, but it looks like a heck of a unit and has gotten good reviews.

So that's where I'm at currently. Basically I'm just frustrated that I can't find more true specs that will make or break the deal. I supppose I could call Denon and see if they have any info on older units.

Thanks in advance
[h=1][/h][h=1][/h]

 

[slipperybidness]

I'm putting together a small audio system in my bedroom and I want it to be somewhat vintage. So far I have a Yamaha RXV-493 reciever that's a real workhorse and some decent Cerwen Vega speakers. I'll add a no frills cassette player later on, but right now I'm concerned that if I buy a more vintage single CD player off eBay, that it will play at least CDR's and CDRW's.

I'd like to get either a Denon or an Onkyo and have found some decent looking ones that I can buy fairly cheaply. The Denon I found is here: Denon DCD 1100 Single CD Player w Remote | eBay

However the seller did not leave many details about the product and I can't find much information on it on the internet. Another possibility is a nice-looking Onkyo:
Nice Onkyo DX 1400 Stereo CD Player Single Compact Disc 18 Bit Made in Japan | eBay

At least on this page the seller claims it will play CDR's and CDRW's, however I cannot confirm that anywhere on the internet, and I'd hate to buy it and find out it will only play regular CD's.

I also worry about the age of some of these units, which can average 20-25 years old.
So my big question is,what year did company's start making CD players that were able to play regular CD's plus CDR's and CDRWs?

My other option...and it comes down to finances, is to just take the plunge and buy a new or slightly used modern deck. For example I found a nice manufacture refurbished Teac CD-P1260 for $87

Another option I can go with is a slightly used Onkyo C-7030 for $133, which is a lot more than I really want to pay, but it looks like a heck of a unit and has gotten good reviews.

So that's where I'm at currently. Basically I'm just frustrated that I can't find more true specs that will make or break the deal. I supppose I could call Denon and see if they have any info on older units.

Thanks in advance

Personally, I would be concerned with the quality of DACs in older CD players.

Today, DACs are a commodity and cheap and pretty much any CD player is gonna have a DAC good enough for your ears.

I can't say that vintage CD players had the same advantage of DACs being a commodity that we enjoy today.

 

[afterlife2]

Hi and welcome. If you can find a used OPPO DV-980H(Love mine and go for $100 and sometimes less) it's a great CD player or alternatives:
OPPO DV 981HD Universal DVD Player with HDMI 1080p Up Converting DIVX SACD 6920053808887 | eBay

OPPO DV 981HD 1080i 1080p Home Video Theater HD DVD Player HDMI 6920053808887 | eBay

 

[j_garcia]

Vintage does not apply when it comes to CD players IMO. You've already hit one of the big risks on the noggin - most ones that might fit your bill are not going to play CDR/W, so I'd go with something relatively newer (like the Oppos).

 

[ImcLoud]

Vintage does not apply when it comes to CD players IMO. You've already hit one of the big risks on the noggin - most ones that might fit your bill are not going to play CDR/W, so I'd go with something relatively newer (like the Oppos).

+1 I also like the parasound zcd for $200 on amazon...
Or one of these if you want full size.. Onkyo C-7030 Compact Single Disc Player | Accessories4less they also have a onkyo 6 or 5 disc for $99

 

[TLS Guy]

I'm putting together a small audio system in my bedroom and I want it to be somewhat vintage. So far I have a Yamaha RXV-493 reciever that's a real workhorse and some decent Cerwen Vega speakers. I'll add a no frills cassette player later on, but right now I'm concerned that if I buy a more vintage single CD player off eBay, that it will play at least CDR's and CDRW's.

I'd like to get either a Denon or an Onkyo and have found some decent looking ones that I can buy fairly cheaply. The Denon I found is here: Denon DCD 1100 Single CD Player w Remote | eBay

However the seller did not leave many details about the product and I can't find much information on it on the internet. Another possibility is a nice-looking Onkyo:
Nice Onkyo DX 1400 Stereo CD Player Single Compact Disc 18 Bit Made in Japan | eBay

At least on this page the seller claims it will play CDR's and CDRW's, however I cannot confirm that anywhere on the internet, and I'd hate to buy it and find out it will only play regular CD's.

I also worry about the age of some of these units, which can average 20-25 years old.
So my big question is,what year did company's start making CD players that were able to play regular CD's plus CDR's and CDRWs?

My other option...and it comes down to finances, is to just take the plunge and buy a new or slightly used modern deck. For example I found a nice manufacture refurbished Teac CD-P1260 for $87

Another option I can go with is a slightly used Onkyo C-7030 for $133, which is a lot more than I really want to pay, but it looks like a heck of a unit and has gotten good reviews.

So that's where I'm at currently. Basically I'm just frustrated that I can't find more true specs that will make or break the deal. I supppose I could call Denon and see if they have any info on older units.

Thanks in advance

I can tell you that vintage Revox players and vintage Macs will play CDRs. I know Denon's do not.

For the rest to be certain you need to get a player well after the introduction of CDRs.

On older players there will be no digital out as they were produced before the SPDIF standards.

 

[j_garcia]

SPDIF can be an indication the player will support CDR/W, but not always, though as TLS mentions, if there's no digital out then it is almost guaranteed they will not play them. I had at least one player from that era that had a digital out but couldn't play them, so it may have been an anomaly or some kind of hybrid that just added SPDIF onto an older model.

 

[TLS Guy]

SPDIF can be an indication the player will support CDR/W, but not always, though as TLS mentions, if there's no digital out then it is almost guaranteed they will not play them. I had at least one player from that era that had a digital out but couldn't play them, so it may have been an anomaly or some kind of hybrid that just added SPDIF onto an older model.

This Revox player I bought in 1984, had not SPDIF out and played CDR/W fine.

I know Macs from that era also play them.

I serviced that player and sold it to a member here who was very pleased with it.

This vintage Denon player does not play CDR/W and fetched far less money when I sold it.

 

[j_garcia]

BLAST FROM THE PAST!

So is it the laser, DACS, or what that determine if the player will play these discs? I remember having to test my discs on players before buying them back then. My first DVD player (Panasonic A500U) wouldn't play them, but it also lacked SPDIF.

 

[TLS Guy]

BLAST FROM THE PAST!

So is it the laser, DACS, or what that determine if the player will play these discs? I remember having to test my discs on players before buying them back then. My first DVD player (Panasonic A500U) wouldn't play them, but it also lacked SPDIF.

To be honest I have no idea.

The Revox player was 14 bit technically but did not behave like it. It used a heavily modified Phillips transport to the point it was barely recognize it as such.

The tray was gear driven firm the geared rack you see from a Revox built geared motor, and there was a cunning automatic magnetic clamp to really hold the disc firmly in the drive.

The designer Roger Lagadec was a real stickler for over the top error correction.

Whether all this is the reason I don't know. I'm pretty sure the Phillips CD players do not play CDR/W discs. There was an older Phillips player at the OP and that did not play them I know.

That CD player sounded as good as any modern player. You would not have picked it out from the new ones. Most of the players of that era sounded a little harsh, that one never did. It always had a nice smooth sound.

This is a trace of the player reproducing a 20 KHz test tone from a CDR I made. Note there is not a trace of ringing.

 

[Fomoco69]

I'm putting together a small audio system in my bedroom and I want it to be somewhat vintage. So far I have a Yamaha RXV-493 reciever that's a real workhorse and some decent Cerwen Vega speakers. I'll add a no frills cassette player later on, but right now I'm concerned that if I buy a more vintage single CD player off eBay, that it will play at least CDR's and CDRW's.

I'd like to get either a Denon or an Onkyo and have found some decent looking ones that I can buy fairly cheaply. The Denon I found is here: Denon DCD 1100 Single CD Player w Remote | eBay

However the seller did not leave many details about the product and I can't find much information on it on the internet. Another possibility is a nice-looking Onkyo:
Nice Onkyo DX 1400 Stereo CD Player Single Compact Disc 18 Bit Made in Japan | eBay

At least on this page the seller claims it will play CDR's and CDRW's, however I cannot confirm that anywhere on the internet, and I'd hate to buy it and find out it will only play regular CD's.

I also worry about the age of some of these units, which can average 20-25 years old.
So my big question is,what year did company's start making CD players that were able to play regular CD's plus CDR's and CDRWs?

My other option...and it comes down to finances, is to just take the plunge and buy a new or slightly used modern deck. For example I found a nice manufacture refurbished Teac CD-P1260 for $87

Another option I can go with is a slightly used Onkyo C-7030 for $133, which is a lot more than I really want to pay, but it looks like a heck of a unit and has gotten good reviews.

So that's where I'm at currently. Basically I'm just frustrated that I can't find more true specs that will make or break the deal. I supppose I could call Denon and see if they have any info on older units.

Thanks in advance
[h=1][/h][h=1][/h]

I recently bought a couple clean used CD players / Onkyo single DX1800 & a Denon DCM 777 / 6 disc magazine style....both from 80s and they both have remotes & sound great.....Denon maybe with a slight edge?....running them through a quality 70s Sansui reciever and JBL speakers

 

[MrBoat]

Can always buy a separate usb DVD(r/rw) whatever player and hide it among the components, since they are now not much bigger than a CD case. I use an older Tascam for most of my CD listening, and all of the other disc formats I have are hybrid. I know the few SACD discs I have are either or, and will play on a reg player. Still, regardless of age, all of the CD players I have ever owned since the '80s, have been more capable than the recordings that were being played on them. Still have the first generic CD player I bought shortly after they came on the market and I had to replace the belt when I rediscovered it about 5 years ago.

Anyway, my desktop pc has a laptop style CD player that is a pain to load, so I bought this one that is much more convenient for around $25. When I am not using it, I stash it atop the PC tower under the desk.

 

[3db]

Why not go for a used DVD player instead of a CD player? They will play CDRW and are a dirt cheap compared to a dedicated CD player and offer the same quality of sound as a CD player.